Mobile communications devices, such as cellular telephones, include memory to store contact information. This contact information is typically arranged in an address book (also known as a contact list) and can include name, address information, telephone numbers, and email addresses. Many of these address book systems offer features such as speed dial, voice dial, custom ringtones, and images to enhance the look and user experience of the address book. Address book options allow for various communication methods including voice call, messaging, and email.
Many users have multiple address books associated with multiple devices. For example, a user may have an address book for one or more mobile communications devices, home computers, work computers, and game systems. Often, many of the contacts are on multiple address books and the user is burdened with the task of entering and maintaining contact information for each contact in each of the address books, a redundant task that is both time consuming and tedious.
Software has been developed that allows two devices to be synchronized to establish a common address book. This is particularly beneficial for business professionals that use email applications to store contacts for their clients and other important contacts. The business professional may also have a mobile device, such as a smart phone, that combines traditional cellular telephone functions and personal digital assistant (PDA) functions in a single device. Synchronizing the contacts on the computer and on the smart phone ensures that the appropriate contact information is available whenever the professional is using either device. This also eliminates having to enter the same contact information into multiple devices.
People are constantly finding different ways to communicate and network, both socially and professionally. The Internet has made communication easily accessible via email and instant messaging applications. In recent years, networking websites have become popular and are becoming increasingly so. These websites allow people to share information and find others that share similar interests. Networking naturally increases the number of contacts a particular individual may have, thus, increasing the number of address book entries a contact needs to enter on each device they wish to store the entry.
Databases that include both business and residential telephone and address information have been around for years. These databases are often searchable via the Internet and published in the form of a telephone book. Customers can request that their information be withdrawn from the database and not published in any such publication. Wireless telephone service subscribers are generally not published in the United States unless the subscriber specifically requests that the number be published.
The aforementioned art includes deficiencies that are overcome by the new systems and novel methods disclosed herein. The applicant desires to create a need and market for these new systems and novel methods that provide search, handshake, introduction, and other new advanced functions to a contact list. Further, these new systems and novel methods provide a global contact database that is searchable by users to obtain contact information for a subscriber without compromising the security and confidentiality of the subscriber's information. Still further, these new systems and novel methods provide advanced address book information through the addition of user-defined and pre-established points of interest to a mobile address book.